


Charmed 207: Fallen Angels

by Metal_Ox137



Series: Charmed AU2 [7]
Category: Charmed (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-21
Updated: 2016-03-21
Packaged: 2018-05-28 01:21:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6308710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Metal_Ox137/pseuds/Metal_Ox137
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Paige has a less than joyous reunion with her birth father.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Charmed 207: Fallen Angels

It was a cold and stormy Saturday morning in mid-March, and at daybreak the rain was falling so hard that it still seemed like midnight outside. In the bedroom of her new apartment in Chinatown, Paige Matthews stirred sleepily from underneath her bedcovers. The rain made a dull seashell roar as it pounded on the bedroom windows and the skylights in the living room - loud enough to wake both Paige and her lover, Henry Mitchell, who was sharing her bed.  
Paige rolled onto her side, snuggling up to Henry, laying her head against his bare chest, still more asleep than awake. Henry draped one arm protectively over Paige's torso, and for a time they lay together contentedly, drifting between sleep and wakefulness, as the torrential rain continued without any sign of letting up.  
After some time had passed, Henry let his arm drift further downwards, gently caressing Paige's back. She nuzzled him sleepily, and then lifted her head to look into his eyes. He smiled at her knowingly, and after a moment she smiled back. She began to breathe little butterfly kisses over his chest, her lips barely grazing the surface of his skin, and he obligingly rolled over onto his back for her. Paige giggled softly, and wormed her way on top of him. With unspoken consent, they joined together; and for the space of a few blissful minutes, they forgot all about the rain that had awakened them.  
A short time time later, panting slightly and covered in a light sheen of sweat, Paige rolled onto her side, her passion momentarily spent. Henry protectively spooned her from behind, and as their sweat-slick bodies rubbed together, they made a soft, wet squelch barely audible over the pounding rain. Paige sighed happily.  
"I wish we could stay like this forever," she murmured, as Henry planted a gentle kiss on her shoulder. He settled his head on the tangle of Paige's dark, sweat-dampened hair, his lips just brushing her earlobe.  
"Sounds good to me," he agreed, his voice still heavy and deepened from sleep.  
"It's times like these I really envy Piper. She could actually do that. Freeze time."  
"Seriously?"  
"Just stay in one moment for as long as she wanted."  
"And this is the moment you'd choose?"  
"When I feel so good I don't give a damn about anything else? Hell, yeah."  
Henry let his hand slide across Paige's rib cage, and she brought up her hand to meet his, and their fingers entwined.  
"I don't think your sisters would be very happy, if you were late getting fitted for your bridesmaid's dress today," Henry pointed out.  
"I can be late, just as long as it gets done," Paige decided, closing her eyes.  
"What time is it, anyway?"  
"Don't know, don't care," Paige sighed, and then she giggled. "We're frozen in time, remember?"  
Henry chuckled softly. "I don't know about that," he said. "Sometimes it seems like life has just hit a fast-forward button. It's only two months until your sister's wedding. I really have no idea where all that time went."  
"You're still meeting Danny today?"  
"Yeah, me and Kershaw and a few of the other guys have a bachelor party to arrange."  
"I don't even want to know what kind of debauchery you boys are planning," Paige giggled again.  
"Nahh. It's not gonna be anything like that," Henry protested. "Darryl asked for something low key. It's probably just gonna be poker night, with better cigars and maybe a bottle of bourbon."  
"That's really all he wants?"  
"It's not his first marriage," Henry pointed out. "Prue's, either. I think they want to keep things on the quiet side."  
"Prue did say, she'd rather have the baby shower, than a bachelorette party," Paige admitted.  
"How far along is she?"  
"Barely two months. She's not really showing yet, but she's got her first OB exam scheduled for next week. She says her boobs are getting really sore."  
"Do you ever think about having kids?"  
Paige opened her eyes, surprised at his question. "Oh, I don't know," she demurred, mulling over a litany of sarcastic replies. "Do you ever think about getting married?"  
"Pretty much all the time now, yeah."  
Paige's eyes went wide. She was reluctant to slip out of their still-carnal embrace, but Henry's answer had genuinely surprised her, and she wanted to see his face as they talked. She pivoted her hips slightly, rubbing herself against him, teasing him playfully as she rolled over; as she lay her head back down on her pillow, now facing him, their hands sought each other again and twined once more.  
"You really want to get married?" she asked.  
"Married, with kids? Of course I do."  
"You mean, with me?"  
Henry gave his lover a carnal smile. "Yes, Paige. With you."  
"You're serious."  
"Yes." A flicker of concern crossed his face. "Did I just melt your brain?"  
"A little bit, yeah." She looked at him almost pleadingly. "You think I'd be a good wife? And mom?"  
"I think you're gonna be amazing at whatever you decide to do."  
"Now you're just evading the question," Paige ruffed.  
Henry squeeze his lover's hands gently.  
"I guess my answer is, I want you to be my wife, and I want to have kids with you."  
"That's - not a proposal, is it?" Paige asked uncertainly.  
Henry grinned in reply. "No. The proposal comes later. After you and I have had a chance to talk about this, really talk, and ..." His voice trailed off.  
"And what?"  
"I just want to be sure, and for you to be sure, that you want me, as much as I want you."  
Paige raised an eyebrow. "Is there any doubt?"  
"Hey," Henry remonstrated softly. "Maybe I don't have a ring on my finger. But I belong to you, Paige. I have for a long time now."  
Paige regarded her lover's expression; he was utterly sincere.  
"Why haven't you said anything?" she asked.  
"Because I don't want to do anything that's gonna ruin how good things are right now. You really seem happy, Paige. Like you're finally in a good place in your life. You act with such strength and self-confidence now. More than I think I've ever seen from you. It's so great to see that. And I know for a fact I'm the luckiest guy in the world, because I get to share that with you." His smile turned almost sad. "I guess I'm like you. I want to stay frozen in this moment forever. So in love with you I don't give a damn about anything else."  
Despite the fact she was laying down, Paige almost felt dizzy. "Hey," she protested weakly. "No fair taking my breath away."  
She placed her hand against his shoulder, and gave him a playful shove, so he was on his back once more. Henry laughed as she straddled him.  
"Just what do you think you're doing, Mrs. Mitchell?"  
"I'm gonna be late for my dress fitting," Paige declared breathlessly, leaning in to kiss him. "Mr. Matthews."  
And for a happy interval, all time came to a stop.

* * *

A few hours later, Paige had finally managed to shower and quickly shrug herself into some presentable clothes, and hurried out to meet her sister. The rain had stopped - for the moment - but dark and lowering clouds seemed to drag across the roofs of the tallest buildings, leaving the San Francisco streets in an eerie mid-morning twilight.  
Paige hurried down the rain-slicked streets, practically skipping over the largest puddles, humming softly to herself. She caught sight of her sister coming up the sidewalk, and almost ran to meet her, giving her an effusive and exuberant hug.  
Phoebe Halliwell grinned at her baby sister. "Well, look at you," she teased gently. "You're positively glowing."  
Paige's radiant smile didn't dim in the least. "Yeah, I am," she affirmed.  
"Things are starting to get really serious with you and Henry, huh?"  
"Serious?"  
"You've been talking about the 'M' word."  
As Paige's jaw dropped in surprise, Phoebe laughed. "I can see into your heart, remember, sweetie? And I think it's wonderful."  
"We haven't really talked about it," Paige said, almost shyly. "We sorta talked about getting ready to talk about it."  
"That's still talking about it," Phoebe grinned. "And everybody can see how happy that makes you."  
"It's - better than happy," Paige said. "It's - I feel like I could explode. Like I could orb to the moon. Like I could fucking do anything." She threw back her head, and shouted exultantly at the top of her lungs, "I LOVE HENRY MITCHELL!"  
Several passers-by on the sidewalks on either side of the street paused, then returned bemused glances or tolerant smiles before going about their business.  
"Not bad," Phoebe nodded approvingly. "That probably made it to Oakland."  
Paige laughed, and slipped her arm inside her sister's; and with unspoken consent, they began to walk up the street together arm-in-arm, heading in the general direction of the bridal shop.  
_"My baby must be a magician,"_ Paige sang softly in her breathy voice, as they walked along. _"Cause he's sure got the magic touch . . ."_  
She grinned self-consciously at Phoebe. "I'm really starting to get crazy stupid, huh?"  
Phoebe laughed delightedly. "You're in love, Paige. Enjoy it!"  
"Yeah? And how about you, big sister? How was your night with Kai?" Paige asked.  
"Well, we finally went on a proper date," Phoebe grinned.  
Paige glared at her sister with playful suspicion. "Did you?"  
"We managed to have a very nice dinner, and maybe half of a movie, before we went back to his place."  
"Only half a movie?"  
"Okay, maybe just a third," Phoebe admitted, laughing.  
"You really like him, don't you?"  
"Yeah," Phoebe's smile was shy and wistful. "I haven't felt this good in a long time. It feels nice."  
"It feels better than nice," Paige suggested.  
"Better than nice," Phoebe nodded in agreement. "I might have to start bringing him back to our place, though, when he changes shifts at the fire station next week."  
"I can't wait to meet him. But you can't keep dating him, unless I approve."  
"Oh, yes? Since when do you get to choose my boyfriends for me?"  
"Since right now. I just made that rule up." Paige gave her a quick hug as they walked. "I only want the very best guy for my sister."  
"Well, I appreciate your concern," Phoebe answered with mock solemnity. "But I think I'm capable of picking my own boyfriends."  
"Love is blind, Pheeble."  
"Look who's talking," Phoebe grinned.  
Paige giggled. "Just remember, though, we're gonna start having our niece with us most weekends from now on, so we'll have to keep the really naughty stuff in our bedrooms."  
"What? We have to behave?" Phoebe groaned in mock dismay.  
"No, we just have to misbehave behind closed doors."  
"Hmm. We're gonna have to come up with some sort of tag team, so we're not both misbehaving at the same time."  
"Well ... I thought, that maybe, when the weather cooperates, we could alternate taking Patience to the park for swings and slides?"  
"Not a bad idea," Phoebe agreed. "How about when the weather doesn't cooperate?"  
She looked up into the lightless sky, where the dark and heavy clouds were threatening to open again. Phoebe's auburn hair was already dampened from the fine mist in the air, and starting to cling to the sides of her face.  
"Maybe we'll just cast a spell," Paige grinned.  
A low growl of thunder was heard off in the distance, but the muted rumble boomed and echoed along the streets between the tall buildings, and just as Phoebe and Paige looked up, the torrential downpour began again. Although Phoebe had an umbrella with her, there was no point even trying to open it - the water was simply cascading in heavy sheets, and they were instantly drenched to the skin. Shrieking with laughter, still arm-in-arm, the sisters pelted along the sidewalk, seeking shelter under the nearest awning. 

* * * 

In Prudence Trudeau's modest apartment, Darryl Morris was busy making brunch for his family in the kitchen. He stared out the two small windows that looked out over the fire escape, genuinely impressed by the waterfall just outside, cascading from the building's gutters - it nearly looked like a river stood up on one end, with all the water running out of its banks.  
"It's really coming down out there," he commented, as dark-haired Prue came into the kitchen and gave him a quick hug from behind. He turned so he could return her embrace, and for a moment, they lost themselves in a passionate kiss. Prue lay her head against Darryl's chest, and sighed happily as he encircled her in his muscular arms.  
"It's gonna be tough for Paige and Phoebe to pick up Patience this afternoon," Darryl suggested. "It's supposed to rain all day."  
"Not at all. Paige can orb, remember? They won't even need raincoats."  
"Well, Patience should take hers, anyway. I'm sure a trip to the park is happening on Sunday - rain or shine."  
"That's for sure," Prue agreed.  
They stood together, arms circled around each other, utterly content.  
"Good to be home," Prue murmured softly, nuzzling her lover.  
"I'm just glad you're feeling better." Darryl's voice dropped almost an octave as he caressed Prue. "You really scared the hell out of me the other night."  
"Sorry."  
"Don't be. I just want you to be safe." Darryl hugged her tightly.  
"Well, I am now, since Phoebe and Paige cured me."  
"Until the next demon comes along."  
"I'm not taking up demon vanquishing again, if that's what you're worried about," Prue assured him. "I'm leaving all that stuff to my sisters from now on." They shared a long, lingering kiss. "You and I have a family to raise," she smiled at him. "And that is my absolute, unconditional first priority. Besides, if what Rex says is true, we should be enjoying a demon reprieve - at least, for a little while."  
Darryl snorted with derision. "You really believe what Rex Buckland says?"  
"In this case? Yes." Prue said thoughtfully. "I haven't sensed any demons at all, ever since we got rid of . . ."  
Prue faltered, still not quite able to speak her dead sister's name. Darryl hugged her again, this time for comfort, and Prue accepted the embrace willingly.  
"So, what would you like to do with our free weekend?" Darryl asked. "We could still go out somewhere tonight. Like we tried to do last time."  
"We could," Prue agreed. "But I think I might just like to stay at home. If you don't mind. Put on Coltrane's _Ballads_ and slow dance in the living room?" she suggested hopefully, and then gave him her most carnal smile. "And we can spend the rest of the evening making each other feel better. _Much_ better." She stood on tiptoe to whisper in his ear. "Meaning, I want to fuck you until neither of us can move," she confided breathlessly.  
Darryl's only answer was a giddy smile plastered across his face, and Prue burst out laughing. "I made you speechless!" she chortled.  
"Almost," Darryl admitted, finding he had to swallow hard before he could speak again. "Let's just say, I approve of the idea." They shared another long kiss. "By the way - I have a surprise for you."  
"A surprise?" Prue's face lit up.  
"You remember we had talked about going to opening day at Pacific Bell Park?"  
"You got tickets for the Dodgers game?" Prue gasped.  
"Better than that. Kershaw got the whole department together, and they bought eight seats for us as a wedding gift."  
"Oh, my God, Darryl, that must have cost a fortune!"  
"It's enlightened self-interest," Darryl laughed. "Danny and Ellen are taking two of the seats."  
"Still - !"  
"They know you have a family again," Darryl said quietly. "And everyone wanted you to be able to have a family outing. So, you and me and Patience, and Phoebe and Paige are going to the new stadium for opening day - Henry too, if he wants to go."  
"That's so sweet," Prue exclaimed, genuinely moved by the gesture.  
"The only catch is, you'd have to take that Tuesday off work."  
"The whole city's gonna be off work that day," Prue retorted. She shook her head, still overwhelmed by the generosity of their friends. "I can't believe they did that for us!"  
"Well, you can thank them in person - at the ballpark." Darryl grinned.  
"We'll need our winter gear, won't we?"  
"Hey, it's supposed to be warmer than The Stick."  
"Uh huh. I'm still taking my heaviest jacket."  
Darryl chuckled. "Very wise."  
"Your partner is a sweet old man," Prue declared, kissing Darryl again.  
"I'll tell him you said so," Darryl grinned, returning the kiss. "I might leave out the 'old' part, though."  
"Did Phoebe mention that Danny's been recruiting her?"  
Darryl nodded. "She said she wanted to talk to me about it."  
"What do you think?"  
"I think . . ." Darryl paused. "I just remember, how you and Piper used to dance around Andy and me, and pretty much the rest of the San Francisco police force, trying to keep everything a secret," he admitted. "Those were not good times."  
"No, they weren't," Prue agreed.  
"I think it would be a great idea, if the department had a proper occult specialist on staff. And I think Phoebe would be a great fit."  
"She's not so sure."  
"Being a detective isn't for everyone," Darryl nodded thoughtfully. "But I think Phoebe has the right stuff. I also keep thinking, how much easier everything would have been, if all of us knew then what we know now - about demons and witches, and everything else." He fixed Prue with a sober look. "I think Phoebe could help us save a lot of lives."  
"Then maybe you should tell her that."  
"I promised her, the next time she comes over for dinner, we can talk about it all night."  
"If we ever see her again," Prue grinned. "Now that she's got the new boyfriend."  
"And how's that going?"  
"She says she feels like she could fly."  
"Uh, oh, sounds like love," Darryl chuckled, and they shared another quick kiss.  
"I did want to ask you about Sunday afternoon, though."  
"Oh? Did you have something special in mind?"  
Prue made a face. "Ushi has been shaming me, for not showing up to help out at the shelter more often," she admitted. "And she's right. I haven't been there since - well, since Phoebe arrived. And that's been months ago now."  
"Ohh," Darryl exhaled. "Yikes. We haven't been holding up our end, have we?"  
"Not really. And Pastor Williams will be there this weekend," Prue pointed out. "Anyway, would you mind if we volunteered for a shift at the kitchen, after church?"  
"Not at all. You want to bring Patience, too?"  
"Absolutely. It's about time she got a first-hand look at what it means to be charitable to our fellow man."  
"Maybe you should ask your sisters if they'd like to come, too."  
"I was planning to ask them," Prue nodded, and then she smiled. "I just wanted to get your buy-in first."  
"I'm in," Darryl assured her.  
"I love you," Prue sighed happily, kissing him. "Let's get married."  
"Two more months, Prue. It'll go by in a finger-snap."  
"Have you been thinking about names?"  
"Not this past week," Darryl admitted. "But now that you're feeling better, that task is going to the top of the list."  
"I wanted to put mom's name in for consideration. If it's a girl. And Grams' name, too."  
"I got no problem with that. Patricia and Penelope are great names. What if it's a boy?"  
"I haven't gotten that far yet."  
"Well, why don't I work on some boy names, and you work on the girl names, and we'll see what we come up with?"  
"Sounds great."  
"Does the name have to start with a 'P'?" Darryl asked, with a moue of annoyance.  
"No," Prue laughed heartily. "That was my mom's thing. It doesn't have to be ours."  
"Good, because otherwise I just get stuck at 'Peter' and 'Paul'."  
"What, no Patrick?" Prue grinned.  
"I'm not Irish," Darryl retorted.  
"No, you're the other 'P' word." As Darryl frowned in puzzlement, she added, "As in, perfect."  
A rolling clap of thunder boomed overhead as the lovers kissed, but neither of them heard it.

* * *

Sunday breakfast ended up being rather early at Phoebe and Paige's new apartment. Patience spent Saturday night with her aunties, sleeping in the sofa hide-a-bed under the skylights. Prue and Darryl arrived just after eight in the morning, somewhat bleary-eyed, but smiling happily. Phoebe greeted each of them with an affectionate hug and kiss, and guided them to the breakfast table, where a simple but satisfying meal of scrambled eggs, grilled potato wedges, biscuits, and juice and coffee awaited. Paige had managed to get her niece into the bathtub the night before, and now had dressed her in an attractive dark-green dress suitable for church services.  
"Don't you look so pretty," Prue marveled, hugging her daughter. "And _clean!"_ she added, looking appreciatively at her baby sister.  
"We managed to hose her off," Paige replied with a completely straight face.  
"Are Henry and Kai joining us this morning?" Darryl asked.  
"Sorry, Darryl, it's just you," Phoebe sighed. "Both our men have to work today."  
"She means, you're the man of the hour," Paige assured him.  
"Will we be coming back here?" Phoebe asked. "I mean, before we go over to the shelter."  
"No, we won't have time," Prue answered. "We'll probably go straight from the church over to the kitchen. Dinner will be served at four, and we'll be working nonstop for at least three hours before that."  
"I'd offer to orb everyone," Paige added, "But - up to now, I've only orbed over to Prue's and back. I'm not sure if I could cover the distance all the way to the church." She made a face. "And I don't know if I could orb the entire family without giving myself a hernia, or something."  
"It's not like you're carrying our personal weight on your back, is it?" Phoebe frowned. "When you're orbing, I mean."  
"You seem to manage with Patience just fine," Prue allowed, nonchalantly sipping her coffee.  
Paige flushed beet-red. "You - know about that?" she asked with chagrin.  
Prue gave her sister a reassuring smile. "If I didn't think I could trust you with my daughter, I wouldn't let you take her," she declared. "It's fine, Paige. I know you're careful with her. And I'm grateful that you're so responsible." As Paige glowed from the unexpected compliment, Prue added, "I think you'll find, after you've had some more practice, that you could orb all of us anywhere across the city, without any trouble at all. But you're right, we shouldn't make today our first trial run."  
"Is this something you guys do a lot?" Paige asked. "I mean, feeding the poor and hungry."  
"We haven't done nearly as much as we should," Prue admitted. "Piper and I used to go all the time. Of course, she would be baking for the event two days ahead of time. We'd show up with a whole van filled with pies, cookies, dinner rolls - she was astounding." She sighed, remembering, and then grinned ruefully. "Today, we're just showing up, and hoping we won't get in the way."  
"How about you, Pheeble?"  
"I had a similar experience with my Piper," Phoebe nodded. "But this is my first time with you guys."  
"So, do we all get to cook?"  
"That's up to Ushi," Prue said. "She's basically the majordomo of the shelter. She'll give you an assignment -"  
"And she'll expect you to bust your butt," Darryl added. "And I'm not even joking."  
"Drill sergeant, huh?"  
"One of the best." Darryl grinned. "You have to be, to run a place like that."  
"And she runs it very well," Prue nodded. "She's been profiled in almost all the local papers and magazines at some point over the last ten years. Whatever you think you know about 'soup kitchens', throw it out the window. She makes her place look like a five-star restaurant."  
"They even have daily menus," Darryl marveled. "People can actually choose from different entrees."  
"Wow, that sounds really cool," Paige said approvingly.  
"It's going to be hard work, Paige," Prue cautioned. "And - if you haven't done this before - it can be a little overwhelming."  
"Yeah, but we're helping people, right? Isn't that the whole idea?"  
"That's it, exactly. Okay, let's get cleaned up here, because we have a long day ahead of us!" Prue smiled at her sisters.

* * * 

Less than an hour after the worship services concluded, Darryl guided Prue's SUV down a narrow alleyway, leading to the service entrance for the kitchen. He pulled the vehicle into the first available space for volunteer parking, and everyone disembarked. A short, solidly built Chinese woman in her mid-forties, with her greying hair pulled back in a tight braid, caught sight of Prue and beamed ecstatically.  
"Prudence!" The woman hurried forward and gave her a quick hug. "It's so good to see you!"  
"Hello, Ushi. It's good to see you, too. It's been too long."  
"You look good," the woman named Ushi said approvingly, looking over Prue carefully. "The last couple of times I saw you, life was not so good for you, I think."  
"It's much better now," Prue answered with a radiant smile. "And I didn't come alone. I brought an army with me today."  
"Did you now?"  
"You know Darryl, of course -"  
"Ni hao, Ushi." Darryl accepted a quick hug.  
"And this is Patience - she's making her first visit to the shelter," Prue introduced her daughter.  
"Oh my, she's so big!" Ushi exclaimed delightedly. "It's been almost a year since I saw her last. Hello, Patience. It's nice to see you here."  
Patience, unnerved at being the sudden center of attention, wrapped her arms around Prue's leg and buried her face in her mother's thigh.  
"And still a bit shy," Prue allowed with a grin.  
"And who else do you have with you?" Ushi wanted to know.  
"Oh, well, this is where it gets - a little strange," Prue admitted. "This is my sister, Paige -"  
"Another sister?" Ushi frowned in puzzlement.  
"Yes, she's a Halliwell too, on my mom's side," Prue grinned.  
"Hello, Ushi. I'm Paige Matthews," Paige extended a hand, but Ushi pulled her into a crushing hug.  
"And, this is Phoebe." Prue nodded.  
Ushi's jaw dropped open, and she stared at Phoebe in utter shock.  
"She's not the Phoebe you remember," Prue tried to explain.  
"But - but - you're _dead,"_ Ushi protested, sputtering at Phoebe.  
"Yeah, I get that a lot," Phoebe answered with equanimity, the shocked stares no longer fazing her. "Hello, Ushi. I'm Phoebe Halliwell - but I'm a different Phoebe Halliwell. It's nice to meet you."  
"She's not the same person, Ushi, I promise," Prue assured her. "Not a ghost."  
Recovering herself somewhat, Ushi muttered a quick prayer in Cantonese, and managed to give Phoebe a welcoming smile.  
"You look so much like - your sister," she faltered helplessly.  
Phoebe grinned. "You can think of me as Phoebe's twin, if that helps."  
"Oh, that's maybe not so good," Ushi couldn't help exclaiming.  
"I promise, I'm nicer," Phoebe gave the woman her most reassuring smile, and Ushi decided she could trust Phoebe enough for a quick hug.  
"We should have Pastor Williams sitting down, before he sees you," she declared.  
Phoebe couldn't help laughing. "Probably not a bad idea," she agreed. 

* * * 

To Paige, who was barely used to cooking at home, setting up the kitchen and the dining area at the shelter was a surprising amount of work. Along with the Halliwells, there were at least a half-dozen other volunteers; and, as Prue had indicated, Ushi had everyone scurrying around with almost military precision. Although the tables and chairs in the dining area were mismatched, being donations for the most part, the floor had been set up so the resemblance was closer to a restaurant than a soup kitchen; and anyone not preparing food was setting up the dining area. Thirty minutes before open, Ushi called everyone together, and designated Phoebe, Paige and another volunteer as waitresses and servers, with Patience being allowed to fill water glasses for each table. The effort was frenetic and exhausting. But the results spoke for themselves; the back area was fully prepared to serve hot meals for up to forty families, not only with three choices of entree, but several side dishes, two kinds of salad, and either brownies or chocolate chip cookies for desert.  
When the dining area finally opened, Paige was dismayed to see so many children streaming in through the doors. Prue noted her aggrieved expression and drew her aside.  
"You okay?" she asked.  
"Yeah, yeah, fine, I just - I didn't expect to see so many ... families," Paige confessed.  
"I know," Prue sighed. "It can be a bit heart-wrenching. Misfortune plays no favorites. There, but for the grace of God, go any of us." She gave Paige a quick hug. "But we're here to at least make part of their day a little less unhappy. You gonna be okay up here? Darryl and I have to get back to the kitchen."  
"Yeah, I got this," Paige assured her, and put on her best poised smile.  
For the next hour, Paige, Phoebe and an indefatigably cheerful Chinese girl named Shan tirelessly worked the floor, writing down orders and delivering trays of food to grateful families. As the afternoon wore on, Patience was permitted to deliver glasses of water directly to the tables closest to the kitchen door, where one of the adults could keep an eye on her. Patience took her first glass to an older man, possibly in his late fifties, with a shock of unkempt greying hair and thick beard. He smiled sadly as Patience offered him the water glass.  
"Thank you very much," he said politely, taking the glass. Patience scurried over to Paige, who was in the next row of tables over, and tugged insistently at her skirt. Paige looked down.  
"What is it, sweetheart?"  
"Auntie Paige ... your daddy's here," Patience announced.  
Paige frowned. "My - daddy?" Her eyes went wide as she suddenly realized what her niece meant. "My _father?_ Here?"  
"He's right over there," Patience pointed.  
Heart in her throat, Paige walked over to the small table, where the man was sitting by himself. She drew in a sharp breath. She didn't know his name, but this was surely the man in Phoebe's vision - the face she had learned to cast with her very first spell.  
Impulsively, Paige took the seat across from him, and he looked up from his meal, startled.  
"Hello, dad," Paige said quietly.  
The man froze for a moment, as if petrified with fright; but then he looked down at his food, and continued eating with singular determination, feigning a nonchalance both of them knew didn't exist.  
"Please don't run away," Paige said, keeping her voice low, so that only the two of them could hear. "I'm in no mood to go chasing after you. And don't bother trying to orb, either. I can follow you that way, too. If I have to."  
The man swallowed his piece of grilled chicken and sipped some water before answering. "So you can orb," he said finally. "I was kind of wondering."  
Paige looked the man over carefully. Although he was unkempt, he was reasonably clean; and his clothing, while tattered, wasn't terribly soiled. He had somewhere to go at night besides the street, at least. She realized with a sinking feeling she had no idea how to start this conversation - or even any idea of what she wanted from him, really.  
"Stop staring at me," he growled sullenly.  
"We - haven't really met yet," Paige began awkwardly, holding out an open hand in greeting. "Hi. I'm Paige Matthews."  
The man regarded her with a haunted look, and then grudgingly, took her hand and gave it a brief shake.  
"Sam. Sam Wilder."  
"It's - nice to meet you, Sam."  
"Yeah, I'm guessing that's probably a lie," Sam Wilder opined, spending far too much time chewing a forkful of salad.  
"Well, I guess this is a surprise for both of us," Paige allowed. "But it doesn't have to be a bad surprise. It can be something good."  
Wilder glared at his daughter, but not in anger; it was more as if he felt a sudden, excruciating pain. "I doubt that," he muttered darkly.  
After they had sat in awkward silence for a long moment, he added, with some heat, "Can't you leave me in peace? I'm trying to eat here."  
Paige pursed her lips, trying to hold in check a floodgate of emotions rising up in her. "I'll go," she said, "If you'll agree to talk to me when you're done eating. Otherwise, I'm staying right here."  
Paige felt a pang of momentary fright, thinking her father might make a scene. But he seemed to resign himself to his fate.  
"I'm glad to see you're all right," he said finally.  
Paige frowned in puzzlement. "All right?"  
"I saw you. Back in February. That demon and his girlfriend had you."  
"You mean, Rex Buckland?" Paige drew in a sharp breath. "Then it was _you_ who -"  
"Don't thank me," Wilder said sharply. "Don't ever thank me. For anything. I haven't done anything for you."

As Phoebe was taking an empty tray back to the kitchen, she caught sight of Paige, sitting down, talking with one of the diners. Frowning in puzzlement, she focused her attention on the small table - and had a sudden flash of insight. She all but raced back into the kitchen area.  
Prue was busy helping to clean up, now that the families had been served; Phoebe grabbed her arm, and without warning, began to drag her away from the sous chef station.  
"Phoebe, what on earth?!" Prue protested.  
"Prue - Paige's father is here!"  
_"What?!"_  
"He's sitting right outside! Come and see!"  
Quickly, the sisters scrambled to the service door and watched from the corner.  
"Don't draw attention," Phoebe whispered.  
"That's really him," Prue gaped in astonishment. She started to step forward, but Phoebe caught her arm again.  
"Paige wants this first meeting to be private," she whispered in her sister's ear.  
"Phoebe, they're in the middle of a dining room," Prue protested, but she understood her sister's meaning and held her place.  
They both watched, wanting desperately to join, but even from across the room it was obvious that the reunion was not shaping up to be a happy one. 

"What the hell do you want from me, anyway?" Sam Wilder grunted angrily.  
Paige floundered helplessly. "I just - I want some answers, I guess. Why you and mom put me up for adoption. What happened to mom. What happened to _you."_  
Wilder shook his head, and continued eating.  
"Dad -"  
Wilder looked up, his face darkening. "Don't call me that. Not ever," he almost spat. "Your father is Ben Matthews. I'm just some homeless guy you met. A stranger."  
Paige took the rebuke like a physical blow, but she swallowed hard and pressed on. "Look. I'm not trying to judge you," she said, her voice shaking. "And I don't want to make you uncomfortable, or lay any sort of guilt trip on you. I just want you to talk to me. You don't have to be alone. And you _do_ have a family -"  
"You should walk away from this table, right now," Wilder cut her off. "And it would be best for both of us if you never saw me again."  
He finished draining his water glass, and abruptly stood up, and limped toward the exit. Paige sat for a moment in utter dismay, but then a look of genuine anger flashed across her face.  
"No," she muttered grimly. "You don't get to do that to me!"  
She got up and followed him outside.  
"Dad, wait -"  
Sam Wilder turned at glared at his daughter with open hostility. "Don't try to follow me," he warned. "And don't try to find me. We're done here. Forget you ever met me. I don't exist."  
A swarm of brilliant white lights began to circle him.  
"No, dad, don't you do this, don't you dare," Paige yelled after him as he vanished. "You _owe_ me, dammit!"  
But there was nothing left but an empty street. Paige stared at the spot where her father had disappeared, her anger changing to dismay, and then to inconsolable sorrow.  
Phoebe came out onto the street. "Sweetie?"  
Huge tears were welling in Paige's eyes.  
"Do you want to go after him?" Phoebe asked hesitantly.  
"What would be the point?" Paige seethed. "He doesn't want anything to do with me."  
"Oh, Paige -"  
"Phoebe, leave me alone, please," Paige muttered tearfully, brushing her away. "Just - leave me alone."  
With a flash of white lights, she vanished, just as her father had done.  
Prue came out onto the street and took Phoebe's hand. She didn't her need her sister's gift of premonition to know that something terrible had happened.  
"Should we go after her?"  
"Not right now," Phoebe shook her head. "The anger she's feeling has to burn itself out first." She sighed despairingly. "There's nothing we can do here," she decided aloud. "Let's help Ushi get the kitchen cleaned up."

Somewhere near the entrance to Golden Gate Park, Sam Wilder appeared in a flash of white light. He wasn't aware of his surroundings; he was barely aware that he was even outside. He stumbled to the nearest park bench, convulsed and shaking.  
_She has her mother's eyes ..._  
Wilder crumpled, his pain nearly doubling him over. He hadn't meant to speak to her so harshly. But he'd done it all the same. Where was that anger _coming_ from?  
_No, no, no. This is not how things were meant to be. It should have been different. It should have been so much better than this._  
Sam Wilder put his head in his hands and began to cry - great, heartbroken sobs for which there is no comfort. 

All afternoon, Paige orbed aimlessly from location to location - desperately seeking any sort of distraction or solace from the pain and anger that was overwhelming her - but after a few moments in one spot, her emotions boiled over, and she fled again - not thinking, not seeing, just hurting - and running. As it was getting near dark, she chanced to land on a dirty street next to a corner bar. She looked up at the sign in dismay. "BAR NONE", it announced cheerfully in bright neon letters.  
"Oh, of course I ended up here," she sighed bitterly. "It's where I'm always supposed to be."  
She loitered outside the door for a long moment, hesitating. Through the blanket of pain that suffocated her, little voices insistently began jangling of danger, danger, danger.  
_You DO have a family. You have sisters. A niece. Even a mom and dad who actually love you. Go home to them._  
But the anger boiled up inside her again, a white-hot rage that simply blinded her. She sucked in a lungful of air, not for breathing, just making a vain attempt to steady herself - heart pounding, her shaking hand closed upon the door handle, and she stepped inside.  
The bar was actually a nicer one, on the inside - and nearly deserted. A few couples had sequestered themselves to the far booths for some privacy. The bar itself was open and empty. Paige walked over to the counter and settled herself on one of the barstools. The bartender gave her a friendly smile and ambled over.  
"What'll it be?"  
"Your best bourbon, neat."  
"Coming right up."  
The voices fairly shrieked inside her skull: _Don't do this, don't do this, don't fucking DO this!_  
A moment later, the small glass was set down in front of her. Paige gave the man a smile. "Thanks."  
_Get up and walk out of here, NOW. There's still time. Go. Go. GO._  
She stared at the amber-colored liquid, and after a moment's hesitation, reached over, and wrapped her fingers carefully around the glass.  
_What if Phoebe could see you right now? Or Prue? Or Patience? Or HENRY?!_  
She lifted the glass upwards, not touching her lips, instead letting the sharp, acrid smell of fermented alcohol play around her nose. She closed her eyes.  
_Help me, Phoebe. Help me._  
She opened her eyes again and stared at the glass.  
"Fuck you, dad," she muttered angrily.  
She tilted her head back slightly and drained the shot in one gulp.  
The liquid burned angrily on the way down, searing her esophagus; settling in the pit of her stomach. It hurt far worse than she remembered.  
_Phoebe, Phoebe, Phoebe, help me, somebody help me, oh God help me!_  
She motioned to the bartender. "Another, please," she smiled. "And keep 'em coming."

In her apartment in Chinatown, a worried Phoebe sat bolt upright on the couch. Ever since she and Prue had parted ways after leaving the kitchen, her thoughts had been solely of Paige; and as the evening wore on, she felt more and more certain that it had been a terrible mistake to leave her baby sister alone. And now, her mental SOS had come through, loud and clear.  
"Paige," she murmured in dismay. "Oh, my God."  
She leaped up and hurried into the bathroom. She grabbed Paige's hairbrush, hastily removed a few strands of her sister's hair, then returned to the living room. She took out the folded map of San Francisco from the rolltop desk, frantically spreading the paper across the floor. She took her crystal pointer from its secreted spot in the back of the first drawer, and wound the strand of hair around the crystal with shaking hands.  
Breathing deeply to calm herself, Phoebe settled herself on her hands and knees, dangling the crystal just above the map. She gave the barest flick of her wrist to send the crystal pointer spinning in a lazy, wide circle over the printed paper.  
"Where are you, where are you," Phoebe muttered anxiously. "Come on, Paige, show me where you are."  
The crystal yanked on its delicate gold chain, and fixed itself to a spot on the map. Phoebe made note of the location, only about eight blocks away - and simply left the map and pointer on the floor, rushing to the door, pausing only long enough to grab her coat. By the time she reached the street, she was running.  
Less than half an hour later, Phoebe found herself in front of the bar, and barged inside. Her sister was nowhere to be seen. In fact, at that moment, the place was empty, except for the bartender, who was cleaning up for the evening.  
"We're closing," he called out to her.  
Feigning nonchalance, Phoebe walked up to the bar and smiled tersely. She fished in her coat pocket, and drew out a small photo of her sister from her wallet.  
"Hi, sorry to bother you, I'm looking for this girl, have you seen her?"  
She held out the photo. The bartender looked at it and nodded.  
"Yeah. She was here. About an hour ago."  
"I don't suppose you know where she went?" Phoebe tried to keep her voice from shaking.  
"So sorry, miss, I have no idea."  
"Was - was she all right?"  
The bartender understood the subtext of the question instantly.  
"She didn't stay. I thought she was going to hang around, but I guess she changed her mind. She had two shots of bourbon, then paid and left. I doubt she was here more than a few minutes."  
"Thank you."  
Phoebe went back out onto the street, nearly panicked. Now, where could she be? The pointer was back at the apartment. Could she scry without it? Enough to at least get a "fix" on her sister's location?  
Standing on the deserted sidewalk, Phoebe closed her eyes and raised her arms outward from her sides, spreading her fingers wide, trying to calm herself enough to sense her sister's magical energy.  
_Come on, Paige, damn it, send me a sign, where the hell ARE you?!_  
Suddenly, Phoebe's own powers of premonition kicked in, and she got an overwhelming sense that Paige was back at home - at the apartment - but that all was not well.  
"This is _so_ not fair," Phoebe groaned, as if Paige could hear her. _"You_ can orb. I have to go on foot ... or hail a cab ...!"  
On the deserted street, there was really only one choice. Phoebe pelted up the sidewalk, in the direction of home. 

A short time later, Phoebe burst into the apartment. A mostly emptied bottle of wine and an overtipped bottle of bourbon sat on the dining room table, their contents slowly dripping onto the floor. Paige was laying on her side next to the table, a large pool of vomit near her head. The entire room reeked of bile, alcohol and something worse - the unmistakable smell of blood.  
Phoebe knelt beside her sister, weeping in terror. "Oh, sweetie, oh, no, no, no, no, no," she sobbed.  
Paige was still breathing, but her breaths were ragged and irregular, her skin cold and clammy to the touch.  
"Paige, can you hear me?" Phoebe shrieked, shaking her gently. _"Paige?!"_  
There was no response. Phoebe scrambled to her feet, grabbed the phone and dialed the emergency number with badly shaking hands.  
"This is 911, please state your emergency," said the operator.  
"I need an ambulance," Phoebe sobbed. "I think my sister just tried to kill herself."


End file.
